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One of the so-called “rules of the road”, New York Vehicle and Traffic Law (VTL) § 1142[a], provides: Vehicle entering stop or yield intersection (a) Except when directed to proceed by a police officer, every driver of a vehicle approaching a stop sign shall stop as required by [VTL § 1172] and after having stopped shall yield the…

Read More Defendant’s Failure to Yield at Intersection Results in Summary Judgment for Plaintiff in Car Accident Case
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On Thursday, March 26, 2015, an explosion rocked several buildings in New York City’s East Village, resulting in the collapse of 121-123 Second Avenue (at/near East 7th Street). These buildings included residences and restaurants (Ramen & Robatayaki, Sushi Park, Sam’s Deli, and Pommes Frites). Reports indicate at at least 20 people have been injured and that two…

Read More East Village Building Explosion & Collapse
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In Young v. United Parcel Service, Inc., 135 S.Ct. 1338 (March 25, 2015), the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted and applied a portion of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act relating to accommodations that covered employers must make to pregnant workers. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 2000e(k), amends Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of…

Read More U.S. Supreme Court Interprets Title VII’s Pregnancy Discrimination Act; Vacates Judgment Against Pregnant Employee
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In Holcomb v. State Univ. of New York at Fredonia, No. 12CV673A, 2015 WL 1280442 (W.D.N.Y. Mar. 20, 2015), the Western District of New York denied defendants’ motion to compel the plaintiff to respond to questions relating to her romantic experiences with her colleagues. In this case, plaintiff sued under Title VII of the Civil…

Read More Sexual Harassment Victim’s Romantic Relationships With Colleagues Off-Limits for Discovery, Court Rules
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In Doe v. NYC Dept. of Education (decided March 24, 2015), the Appellate Division, First Dept. affirmed the dismissal of plaintiff’s complaint alleging improper sexual conduct between a teacher and a student. It was “undisputed that defendant Agosto, a substitute teacher at another school and the infant plaintiff’s track coach, had unlawful sexual intercourse with the…

Read More Underage Student Sex Case Dismissed
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In Derrick v. American Intl. Group, Inc. (App. Div. 1st Dept. March 19, 2015), the Appellate Division, First Department reversed the lower court’s order granting defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiff’s complaint and denying plaintiff’s motion to amend her complaint. In this case, plaintiff asserts claims for race, national origin, and gender discrimination and harassment. Citing NY…

Read More Adverse Unemployment Decision Does Not Preclude Discrimination Claims, Court Holds
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In a March 6, 2015 decision, the New York Supreme Court recently dismissed “Dating Naked” contestant Jessie Nizewitz’s $10 million lawsuit against Viacom. In sum, plaintiff alleged that although defendants promised her “that all frontal and genital nudity would be blurred out when the show was broadcast”, defendants “did not blur out her vagina and…

Read More “Dating Naked” $10 Million Lawsuit Dismissed
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A recent Southern District of New York decision, Daniel v. T&M Protection Resources LLC (SDNY 13-cv-4384, Feb. 19, 2015), illustrates that even conduct that rises to the level of what may be considered “crude” and “contemptible” may not be (and, in this case, was not) enough to survive summary judgment on a Title VII hostile…

Read More Court Explains That Even “Crude and Contemptible” Conduct May Not Rise to the Level of a Hostile Work Environment
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